The present invention relates generally to a semi-automatic nail drivingg apparatus and in particular to an electrically driven nail driving apparatus.
Automated nail driving devices are well known and are generally classifiable as being driven either by compressed air or by a coil spring which is charged after each successive nail is driven. These above mentioned types of nail driving devices have one particular thing in common: these devices cause the nail to be emitted from the nail device or gun as a projectile. The nail accordingly leaves the nail gun or device in much the same way that a bullet leaves a regular gun or rifle.
While this can be desirable in certain situations, one disadvantage is that the nail leaving the nail gun as a projectile can not be controlled during its flight. Accordingly, if the nail is being driven into a soft material it may very well penetrate in too far. In contrast, if the material is too hard, the nail will protrude, that is, it will not be inserted into the material by the desired distance. Even if the impact force of the nail which is emitted as a projectile from these devices were to be adjustable, there is still a problem of adjustment, since hard and soft materials can be encountered during the same job. For example when paneling is being connected to pine studs, the device could be set for use with a soft material; but if the nail were to hit a knot in a pine stud, the hardness of the knot would cause the nail to protrude in an undesirable fashion. The problem then, is that the nail can not be controlled with these types of devices as it is being driven.
Another problem with a projectile type of nail driving device is that there is nothing but the rigidity of the nails to prevent the nails from bending. Also, it is not practical in projectile type nailing devices to be able to countersink nails by a predetermined amount, or to be able to allow a nail to protrude by a predetermined amount. Furthermore, these devices are useful only to drive nails, and can not be used to pull nails.
The biggest disadvantage of using the compressed air projectile type of nail driving devices is the low availability of compressed air and the expense and inconvenience of obtaining it. It would obviously be more desirable to be able to use only electricity without the need for a compressor in order to be able to make a smaller nail driving unit which is more versatile and more portable.
In the prior art, nails for nail driving devices are often altered by cutting off part of the nail head in order to keep the nails aligned. A problem with this approach is that the nail loses some of its holding power with these portions of the nail head removed. Accordingly, a different solution to the nail alignment problem would be preferable.